Sunday, December 09, 2007

PM: Right to protest is fundamental

"The right to protest is fundamental in all democracies but it is a right that must be matched by a responsibility to respect general public safety." - Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The quotes, according to Bernama here, were part of the PM's opinion piece which was published by the Wall Street Journal's weekend edition.Well done, 4th floor boys!But public safety has come under the threat of a rising crime rate in the city, not from people who want to march quietly and peacefully to express themselves.

I wonder if editors at WSJ subscribe to the views expressed by our PM here.

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Was PM trying to convey the following? Or, PM is selling new logic in old bottles?=============================1. Is Rally = Protest?2. Delivery a petition a Protest?3. Delivery to King & Queen a threat to public safety?4. Who had started and continued with violence despites of tremendous unbalance of force?5. Are those in the two Rallies normal Malaysian? Or, why so many Malaysian being "abnormal"?6. Are those in the Rallies the general public?7. Is Constitution the basic of all Law?or only Police Procedures are law?8. Is Authorization override the Constitution? And, force and violence a must in enforcement of duty and Law?9. Had those Rallies a walk with racial tension?10. To respond to the concerns and grievances of the citizens with Chemical Cannons and Teargas and Forces are compassionate, measured (with the pressure of the Cannon, number of Teargas, spooton and boots?), fair (with force to kids & women or max fists?), respectful of law (with plain cost police, abuse of constitution?)??11. Was Bar council authorized in their last walk? so the Rallies should be three and not two?12. If not because of the abuse of the Police on permit, should Bar cancel 9.12 walk?13. Opportunistic and irresponsible? Please give particulars!!14. Why offering stadium if only 4000 in the walk?15. Who started and did most of the disruption or harm? Any figures?16. Since PM so far had not listened, so all presented are not honest and reasonable?17. Who had provoked violence with Water Cannon, teargas, spontoons and boots, etc..?18. What are those personal gain? Can they compare with what mentioned in the AG reports?19. Why the people have to attract international attention?20. What is to be understood as country's commitment to democratic freedom? Under Police authorization, with ISA and OSA, sedition, defamation, water cannons, teargas, spontoons, ..?21. Since democracies have to be improved, so there are lack of democracy?22. What is the nation's democratic heritage?23. When "our respect for free speech, pluralism and fair elections" are in brackets, should it be considered quote of context? And, if they are practiced, is another matter!!24. When other problems with the registrar were not mentioned, the problem remained unsolved!!25. "Achieved much"? to compare with where? Or, in manipulation of power, sleeping over duties/obligations, inflating budgets, corruptions, then, no doubt!!26. Reduced poverty by 10-fold, creating a thriving middle class and for competitive in the 21st century? Big words without figures is really shivering!!27. Harmony maintained? Then, why so big rallies?28. What challenges had Malaysia addressed to determine its economic futures and be bedrock that defines it character for generations to come? Even only with those Concessionaires, generations will have to suffer so even beds have to rock!!29. So people have to wait for the 100th anniversary to celebrate democracy? So, the Great Project is extending??30. IF and only IF, (so, the above are assumption), THEN, .......If stability exist, why calling for a goal for unity? Is Malaysia really having a high levels of economic growth? Them why so many robbery and social security problems? A lot are rich, so a lot to rob? The problem is with the rich?

The fundamental libertyIt is there in the beginningNow it is eroded by the greedyBasking in the sun of glory

Listen to sleeping beautyThe statements he dishesDoes he know what he is saying?Or just to sound he has ‘ada hari’?

The menu spreadsHe must know how to appeaseKnowing not what are the ingredientsI guess he just serves what C4 writes‘You have the powerNobody will disputeSo go out give your piece’

He walks out smile shakes handsThen the news carrying his statementsHe thinks he is smart in his dayI guess he is blinded by the sun shaft raysCobweb him into a cozy cocoonHe says yet in his mind he wants to believe‘I have the power but what I am doingListening to the C4 I am just the glorified boy’

Say one thing disallows anotherThe Constitutional law becomes secondaryPeaceful marching has no place in the societyBusinessmen and racial benefactors say

What has the marginalized people say?They are crying in the corridorsShadowing by the spreading shafts of lightBlended perfectly nobody seeing themEyes wide mind full of hopeYet none arrives all those years

Will the sleeping beauty do the basic rights?He hears the roars of beating on the streetsHe has so far into his never ending productionsI guess he will take a long time to realizeThe frayed fabric of the people rise on the economic cake

"The right to protest is fundamental in all democracies but it is a right that must be matched by a responsibility to respect general public safety." - Abdullah Ahmad Bad-awi.

But if the "referee", the Police, is biased and continually rules against you based on their narrow intepretation of what is "public safety", then what then is the worth of this "fundamental right" in Bolehland if it is rarely given except to the favoured team?

In soccer, it is called "match fixing" and calls for stern action against the referees and the officials.

right to protest is fundamental. you cant even walk with freedom. 100 walkers against 500 policemen. arrested for stopping goons from DBKL barging into private property without a warrant. are these rights? common, BIG EAR stop deceiving the public. live up to your effort to your projected image ( by the 4th floor boys).